Simon Cowell’s Idol Salary May Rise To $144 Million

Most people in the world would be fine, elated even, to earn a $36 million salary, which is what Simon Cowell made this past season for American Idol. But when it came time to renegotiate his contract this year, rumor has it that Cowell knows the show would be lost without him and he’s gunning for more money, to the tune of up to $144 million a season.

Information about the contract negotiations has leaked, and Cowell reportedly has asked for three to four times what he made this year. Considering Idol rakes in about $900 million in revenue each season, what Cowell is asking for is just a drop in the giant, money-filled bucket. We assume the rest of that revenue this year, at least, went to Adam Lambert‘s costumes and fog machines. (We could be wrong.) If the Idol salary isn’t mind blowing enough, remember that is only one of Cowell’s jobs, he’s also a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and The X-Factor. [Photo: Getty Images]